


Prince of Idols

by triple_threat_tenipuri



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-12 19:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7945876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triple_threat_tenipuri/pseuds/triple_threat_tenipuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Echizen Ryoma wishes to surpass his father, Echizen Nanjiroh, as the greatest idol of all time, but he quickly learns that the idol industry isn't as easy as it seems, nor can he do it alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Step to Stardom

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction will follow the overarching plots of Love Live! School Idol Project and Love Live!! Sunshine! And will copy some of the elements while adding its own spin on things. If you have never seen Love Live nor know what it is, this is really just a school idol AU where Echizen starts up a boy band at Seigaku.
> 
> All details about songs and live shows mentioned in the chapters will be included at the end of each chapter as necessary.

“Home already?” Ryoma heard his dad mutter as he closed the front door.

“I’m going back out,” the boy answered. “Just as soon as I change.”

“Hmph. Open mic night?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmph.” His dad was lying on the floor with a newspaper in his hands, though he didn’t seem to be reading attentively, eyes skipping around absently.

“I’m going to surpass you, you know,” Ryoma said with a sharp glare. “You may have been good in your time, but today school idols shine.” His dad looked up and raised an eyebrow.

“School idols, eh? Is that what they call themselves?” he mumbled. He chuckled a bit to himself before returning to his newspaper. “Well, I don’t care. Do you want to borrow my equipment? They don’t have speakers at the cafe.” Ryoma shook his head and pulled his phone out.

“No. I got the backing track here.”

“Suit yourself then. Though that’s highly unprofessional.” Ryoma frowned. As if his father was the epitome of professionalism! He was splayed out in a monk’s robe on the floor, taking every few moments to scratch his rear or pick his nose. Fed up, Ryoma turned around and headed to his room. After changing into a pair of black shorts and a blue collared shirt, he headed out towards the cafe. This was his first step towards stardom. In no time at all, he’d be able to surpass his father, Echizen Nanjiroh.

His father had once been a successful celebrity, and he seemed to be the most well rounded person there was. Old clips of him were often replayed on the TV, whether it be a show he acted in, or parts of one of his concerts, or hosting a game show. There wasn’t anything Echizen Nanjiroh wasn’t good at, though he definitely shined brightest as a singer. However, at a relatively young age, he decided to quit his career altogether, and no one knew why.

He certainly didn’t act like a celebrity, Ryoma thought. He was a lazy old man who did nothing but pretend to read the newspaper. All Ryoma wanted to do was surpass his father in every aspect, and prove that he was a great performer. Ever since he could remember, he wanted to be like his dad. He wanted to writing songs and sing and dance in front of a huge audience. At an early age Nanjiroh had taught him how to play the piano, how to write lyrics, and how to succeed in front of a camera or on a stage.

And now, here he was. He’d finally composed and written his own song--a real, original song--and he was about to perform it at open mic night. Surely the patrons would take notice and he’d be praised for his talent. All these prospects got his blood pumping and his heart racing.  
***  
“Oishi! You’re late!” Kikumaru whined as his friend entered the cafe.

“Sorry, Eiji. I was stuck at the hospital with my dad,” Oishi replied, sitting down at a table in the back with his friend.

“It’s a good thing they haven’t started yet,” Eiji sighed. “I was worried you would miss some of the performances!” Oishi only smiled. Shortly thereafter, one by one performers took the small stage in the front of the cafe. Oishi watched his friend’s face, and how his eyes lit up with every song, and how vigorously he clapped at the end of each performance. It was an endearing sight, and Oishi found that he liked watching Eiji’s reactions more than the performers themselves.

“Hey, who’s that short kid?” Eiji asked, pointing at the next person taking the stage. “I’ve never seen him before. He’s quite small.” Ryoma walked up to the mic and pulled his phone out of his pocket. The patrons looked at each other, murmuring curiously. After a couple seconds there were some harsh shushes, and all the noise died down.

“My name is Echizen Ryoma,” Ryoma spoke into the mic. “And I will be singing an original song called ‘Still.’” He smirked. “This is my debut in the world of school idols, and I ask you all to support me as I rise to the top!” There was a chorus of clapping and cheering. He placed his phone near the mic and pressed “play” to start the backing track, and began to sing…

Kikumaru watched in awe, his eyes glimmering. Echizen Ryoma had a stunning voice! The backing track was solid as well, and the lyrics were just beautiful. As the song progressed, the crowd began to clap to the beat. So far, everyone seemed much more engaged than during any other performance. Eiji grinned. What potential! What charisma! What confidence!

“Isn’t he good, Oishi?” he whispered, leaning across the table. Oishi nodded with a smile.

“Certainly. He has a very pleasant voice. The composition is great as well.” Ryoma’s song ended, and he received the loudest applause of any singer there. He bowed graciously, and stepped off the stage.

“I want to sing like that someday,” Eiji said. “Have a whole crowd cheering, and make them all smile!” He looked over. “You should join me, Oishi.” His companion chuckled.

“Maybe.” He looked down at his watch and fiddled with it. “I don’t know much about music.”

“Thank you very much!” Ryoma exclaimed. He put his phone away and walked off smugly. Before he could completely exit the stage, four young boys blocked his path. Aggressive cheering ensued as a couple of the cafe staff set up a pair of fancy speakers and other equipment on the stage. Ryoma looked around, puzzled by the sudden rise in excitement.

“Echizen Ryoma,” one of the boys addressed. Ryoma met eyes with a tall, purple haired boy with thick, oval glasses. “You wish to enter the world of school idols, and think you can rise to the top that easily?”

“You’d better think twice,” another boy snickered. This one has curly black hair and devious green eyes. “Just wait until you witness the greatness of Rikkai Young Kan!” There was another roar of applause as the group brushed past Ryoma and took the stage.

“Hmph.” Ryoma sauntered to the back of the cafe and leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Really, just how good could these guys be?

“Hello, everyone! We have a new song for you guys, and you all get to hear it before its official release!” the boy with bright pink hair announced.

“Please enjoy ‘Owaranai Ai!’” the boy with a gray rat tail and a mole on his cheek exclaimed.

“Oishi! I can’t believe Rikkai Young Kan is here! What an awesome surprise!” Ryoma overheard. He glanced over at a red headed boy with a bandage on his cheek talking passionately to another boy with short black hair.

“Yeah. This sure is amazing. Even though it’s a cafe, they still dress nicely and bring their equipment in to give the audience the best performance possible,” the other boy commented. “They really care about upholding their image.” The music started, and the audience cheered more and more.

Ryoma watched intently, wondering just what made these guys so popular. His eyes widened as he analyzed everything they did. They had a small dance prepared, and they all moved in synchronization and with grace. The combination of both solo and chorus parts allowed for him to judge their individual voices, but also how they worked in harmony. The purple haired boy had the best voice in the group, but none of them fell short in any aspect. Ryoma looked about the cafe. Everyone was enamored with the performance. Rikkai Young Kan had obviously taken great care in coordinating their music, lyrics, dance, and outfits, and the effect was immense.

The song ended, and the everyone in the cafe chanted “Encore!” in unison, begging for another performance.

“Thank you very much, everyone, but we must take our leave. We thank you for coming out today, and have taken the time to listen to our song. We hope you will continue to support us as we aim to win a second consecutive championship at Love Live!” the purple haired boy stated. They all bowed, and the staff came again to take the equipment off the stage.

The crowd had forgotten him. All of Ryoma’s hard work had been completely overshadowed by this group. He felt a wide range of emotions from awe to frustration to admiration to bitterness.

“And that,” the curly haired boy said, approaching Ryoma, “is how you win fans over. You think playing a track off your phone and singing along is enough to garner any attention? You’ve got talent, but you’re using it in all the wrong ways.”

“That’s enough, Kirihara-kun.” The purple boy ordered gently, coming up behind him. “I apologize for his words. I also apologize for earlier; I hope I didn’t sound too harsh. But the world of school idols is not an easy one. It takes a lot of hard work and practice, and even then there’s no guarantee that you’ll go far.” He smiled. “I suppose we haven’t introduced ourselves. My name is Yagyuu Hiroshi, and this is Kirihara Akaya. And there--” he pointed to the pink haired boy and the gray haired boy-- “those two are Marui Bunta and Niou Masaharu.” The other boys approached him.

“We hope you enjoyed our performance!” Marui chimed. “And we hope you’ll see us again.” Ryoma was at a loss for words. What could he say?

“Adieu.” Yagyuu tipped his head and lead Rikkai Young Kan out of the cafe. Before the group could completely exit, however, Ryoma turned in their direction.

“Mada mada dane!” he sputtered. Yagyuu stopped, and Ryoma thought he would say something, but they continued on without a word. “Hmph.” He looked around. The crowd was still aroused from the surprise performance, and everyone was chattering about how great Rikkai Young Kan was. Ryoma sat there, put out.

“Hey, kiddo, Rikkai Young Kan actually talked to you! That’s so cool!” the red headed boy from earlier exclaimed. “You should’ve asked for an autograph or something.” Ryoma blinked.

“Y-Yeah.”

“You had a really good performance,” the black haired boy said. “It’s just bad luck that Japan’s number one school idol group happened to show up right after. Don’t feel too put down about it, alright?” Ryoma nodded. At least someone remembered how well he did. “Eiji, it’s getting late,” he added, checking his watch.

“Aww, I wanted to see more performances,” Eiji whined.

“I do too, but it looks like the cafe is going to close soon. Let’s leave while it’s easier to get out.” He stood up.

“Maybe I’ll sing next time,” Eiji said. “But I don’t have any original pieces.”

“We can work on that later.” The other boy turned to Ryoma. “I hope to see you around. Don’t give up. You have a lot of potential. Echizen Ryoma, was it? My name is Oishi Syuichiroh, and this is Kikumaru Eiji. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.” The duo left the cafe, and Ryoma figured he ought to leave as well.

“How was it?” Ryoma was barely two steps into the house when his dad called from the kitchen. He had a newspaper in his hands again, though Ryoma hardly took any notice. His dad always took a passive interest in his hobbies and life, though the conversation typically seemed rather forced.

“Fine,” he answered bluntly. His dad chuckled.

“You don’t seem to pleased.” He laughed. “At this rate, you’ll never beat me!” Ryoma rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to bed.”

“So soon? It’s only nine o’clock.”

“I’m tired.” He heard his father say something, but he was already up the stairs and couldn’t make out the words, nor did he really care what his dad had to say. As he was about to close his bedroom door, he heard his dad call loudly.

“Ryoma!”

“What is it?” he huffed in irritation. There was a pause.

“Remember, there’s strength in numbers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Still" is a solo character song by Echizen Ryoma.
> 
> "Owaranai Ai" is a character song by Rikkai Young Kan.
> 
> Both can be accessed via YouTube.


	2. Strength in Numbers

“...and then Rikkai Young Kan showed up!” Horio exclaimed, waving his hands frantically in the air for emphasis. “It was amazing! I’ve never seen them perform live.”

“Wow! Amazing, Horio-kun! I never would have imagined Rikkai Young Kan would do a surprise performance like that!” Kachirou gasped in amazement. Horio seemed to always get lucky with meeting idol groups and getting deals on idol merchandise and tickets.

“Do you want to be an idol someday, Horio-kun?” Katsuo asked. “You seem to know a lot about idols.”

“Of course! I have two years of idol research experience, you know,” Horio proclaimed loudly, beaming. “I’m sure I would be the best idol there ever was! I could top even Rikkai Young Kan.” Kachiro and Katsuo laughed uneasily, not sure if Horio was joking or not.

“Idol? What the heck are you thinking, Horio? Aren’t you in the drama club? I’ve never heard of you being asked to play any of the roles for the plays this year!” Horio whipped around. Tomoka had been listening in, and piped up with a sneer. Sakuno was standing timidly next to her, color rushing to her cheeks.

“I was tasked with the important job of managing the lighting!” Horio justified. “I’m the best man for the job! I’m irreplaceable. Putting me on the stage would send the whole tech theater unit to ruins.”

“Right, right…” Tomoka huffed, unimpressed. Horio turned around to his two friends.

“Come on, guys. Help me out here! Aren’t you two in the broadcasting club? You know how important technology is in performances!” Kachiro and Katsuo couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

“It is true. For a performance to go smoothly, one of the most important aspects is appropriately managed technology. In the broadcasting club, I manage video and Katsuo manages sound. It’s important that we complete our jobs thoroughly so that those on screen or on stage can shine as bright as they can, and can give the best performance they can. A lot of audience members forget about the behind the scenes people though, so we don’t get as much as a spotlight,” Kachiro explained.

Ryoma listened intently, though he didn’t show it. Lighting, video, sound… those were all things Rikkai Young Kan had.

“...Hey! You were at open mic night yesterday!” Horio pointed blatantly at Ryoma, who turned his head to look at him.

“So?” he huffed, taking a sip from his can of Ponta.

“Echizen Ryoma! You said you were going to be a school idol!”

“School idol…?” Sakuno whispered to herself. She was in the same class as a school idol! She felt herself blush even more, her cheeks running hot. The five classmates huddled around his desk.

“I thought you had a good song, but it was no match for Rikkai Young Kan,” Horio commented.

“I’ll get there.”

“Are you in a school idol club? I’m not aware that we have one,” Katsuo asked. “If we don’t, you’ll have to get permission from the school council president.”

“Katsuo’s right,” Kachiro added. “If you want to participate in real school idol events, you have to be in a club first.” Ryoma frowned. He had to go through all of these formalities just to sing and perform? It seemed like a real hassle. He stood up and pushed in his chair.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Tomoka called. Ryoma paused, looking over his shoulder.

“To the student council room.”  
***  
“Rikkai Young Kan was at open mic night last night,” Fuji said, looking out the window.

“Is that so,” Tezuka said without much interest. He adjusted his glasses and flipped through some papers piled on his desk. Fuji looked at him with a sad smile.

“Still that upset over it?” Tezuka didn’t answer, and seemed to be concentrating even harder on the task at hand. “You can’t keep running from the past, Tezuka.” This statement caused him to start, but he immediately composed himself. He opened his mouth to deliver a curt reply, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

“Come in,” Tezuka called. Without hesitation, the door opened. He looked up to see a short boy, presumably a first year, enter the student council room with a smirk on his face.

“I want to start a club,” Ryoma stated. Tezuka raised an eyebrow.

“If you want to start a club, I suggest turning in a form first,” he suggested. “Fuji, could you get this young man a club application?” Fuji nodded and went to the file cabinet to retrieve it.

“Here you are,” he said, handing Ryoma the form. “Remember, if you want to start a new club you must have five members signed up.”

“Five?” Ryoma asked in disbelief. How was he going to get four other people? He thought back to his classmates, but soon discarded the idea. Horio was too arrogant, and the other two were probably too busy with the broadcasting club. He didn’t want to deal with Tomoka either. Ryoma would rather do this whole thing alone, but his dad’s words echoed in his head… strength in numbers. Rikkai Young Kan had four members, each different in their own way, but they all came together to put on a fabulous performance. He had to organize something similar.

“Is that too much for you to handle?” Tezuka challenged with a serious glare.

“Course not.” Ryoma grinned. “Why don’t you two join? I’m starting a school idol club.” Fuji’s ever present smile faded as he looked at Tezuka. The usually calm and stoic student council president seemed to boil internally with rage, though he kept it bottled up almost perfectly. Ryoma’s confidence disappeared; he seemed to have struck a nerve with him.

“It sounds fun, but…” Fuji started. His words lingered as he continued to watch Tezuka.

“As long as I am student council president, I will not approve a school idol club of any kind,” he stated firmly. “Now please, I have some important paperwork to finish.”

“Hmph.” The sudden tension in the room caught Ryoma off guard, but he wasn’t going to let the student council president know that. Without another word he left the room.

Ryoma looked at the paper in his hand. Five members, huh?

“Yo! Echizen!” He looked up to see Momoshiro coming in his direction, waving with a big smile. “Wanna go get some burgers?” Ryoma’s grip on the paper tightened as he looked at his friend. Momo was tall, pretty good looking, and athletic.

“Sure thing, Momo-senpai. You’re paying, right?”

“Man, Echizen! I paid last time!” Momo laughed. “I’ll split the cost with you, how about that?”

“Alright!” The two boys headed to their favorite burger joint on the way home from school. Momo was rambling on about his school day, and how some girl at lunch smiled at him, and how hard the test in third period was. Ryoma nodded and listened as he ate his burger.

“Hey, Momo-senpai,” he asked, once Momoshiro’s story was finished. “What do you think about being a school idol?” Momo paused, and looked at Ryoma. He searched his face for some indication that the question was a joke, but he found none. His friend was totally serious. He knew Ryoma had a passion for music and singing, but to be a school idol?

“Why? Are you starting a group or something?” he chuckled, taking a big bite out of his burger.

“Well, yeah, that’s why I asked,” Ryoma replied, blinking. He pulled out the form. “I have to get four other people before the student council will approve it.” Momo took the paper and scanned it before handing it back.

“Is there anyone else signed up? I don’t see any signatures here,” Momo said. “Sorry, Echizen. It’s just too silly for me.” He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.

“Come on, Momo-senpai! You’re athletic, you could totally be a great dancer. And don’t try to deny it. You beat all of those dance games at the arcade,” Ryoma pressed. Momo only shook his head, sipping on his drink. “Besides, I bet-”

“Oooo, Oishi, they have a great meal deal today!” Kikumaru flung himself through the door, followed by an embarrassed Oishi. Momoshiro turned around to see the source of commotion.

“Hey! Eiji-senpai! Oishi-senpai!” he called.

“Oh, Momo’s here too!” Eiji exclaimed, pointing. Ryoma looked at the duo. They were wearing Seigaku uniforms. It didn’t take him long to recognize that they were the same people from open mic night. Oishi nudged his friend gently.

“Look, it’s Echizen Ryoma from open mic night, too,” he pointed out. Eiji locked eyes with Ryoma, and a smile spread across his face.

“Kiddo! You’re wearing a Seigaku uniform!” he exclaimed, bouncing over. “That’s so cool! I didn’t realize we both went to Seigaku.”

“Y-Yeah,” Ryoma stammered, instantly recalling his humiliating defeat from last night.

“Wait, Echizen, you know these guys?” Momo asked, confused. Oishi nodded with a smile.

“We saw Echizen perform at open mic night last night at the cafe down the street. He had a great song. It was very pleasant to listen to,” he explained. “He should’ve been praised more, but Rikkai Young Kan came in right after his song.” Ryoma blushed with embarrassment. Momo whipped his head around to look at him.

“You mean you saw Rikkai Young Kan?” he asked. “Did they say anything to you? Did you get their autograph? What about a picture?”

“Not really,” Ryoma mumbled. “Wait a minute, Momo-senpai, I thought you said school idols were silly.”

“Th-They are!” Momo defended. “It’s just, Rikkai Young Kan is great, you know? I mean, you can’t not like them… They’re just too good.” Ryoma smirked.

“Wow, kiddo, you’re trying to start a school idol club at school?” Eiji had picked up Ryoma’s club application and was studying it. “That’s so cool!”

“You should join me, Kikumaru-senpai,” Ryoma offered. “You seem like you have a lot of energy, and you love idols, right? You could become one.” He gave the upperclassman a warm smile. Eiji looked to his companion with puppy eyes.

“Oishi, I want to be a school idol too,” he said. “But… I want you to do it with me!” Oishi’s eyes widened.

“Me? Sing and dance?” He pictured himself on stage with Ryoma and Eiji, all three of them wearing flouncy outfits and skipping around. The thought was embarrassing enough to make him blush.

“I don’t know, Eiji… I doubt I could dance well at all. Plus, it’s our last year here.” Eiji grabbed his friend’s hand and looked intently into his eyes.

“Please, Oishi. You of all people would be great at this. Look at you! You’ve got such great composure.” He gripped him tightly. “Oishi, I can’t do this without you.” Oishi and Eiji had always done everything together. There was never a time when they were separated. Eiji knew that someday they’d have to part ways, but this was not the time. He wanted one last hurrah before Oishi went on to study medicine.

Oishi shook his head, chuckling. Eiji was pushy as usual, but it wasn’t like he minded. This would be a good opportunity for them to do something really fun together. It would also force Oishi to step outside of his comfortable zone; he’d never really done anything in front of a lot of people before.

“Alright, alright, Eiji, you win this time,” he sighed, picking up the paper to sign. He looked at Ryoma. “I can’t do much in the way of composing, writing lyrics, or choreography, but I’ll do my best to learn.” He fiddled with his watch, looking down. “And I can’t promise that I’ll improve much.” Eiji eagerly signed the paper as well.

“Don’t be so modest, Oishi! You’re going to be great!” he exclaimed, hugging Oishi tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Momo watched the spectacle, and then observed Ryoma, who studied the paper intently. He only needed two more members! How hard could that be?

“What do you say, Momo-senpai?” He waved the paper in front of Momo’s face. “I’ve got two other members now.” Momo pushed it away with a gentle smile.

“Sorry, Echizen. It looks promising now, but I told you I can’t be an idol, remember? It’s just too silly for me.” He got up and took his tray to the trash. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow.” He waved goodbye to the trio.

“Why doesn’t Momo want to join us?” Eiji questioned. “Oh well. It doesn’t matter. The three of us are gonna have fun together!”

“Yeah!” Ryoma and Oishi cheered together. A rush of excitement flowed through Ryoma’s veins. He had more people on his side. His dad was right; there was strength in numbers. Soon, he’d be unstoppable!


	3. No Means No

The door to the student council room opened abruptly. Tezuka and Fuji both looked up simultaneously. At the sight of their visitor, one bore a smile; the other bore a frown.

“How eager of you to be here before school hours,” Fuji said. “What can we help you with?” Their visitor, Echizen Ryoma, handed him his club application form.

“Here.” Fuji took it, inspected it, and passed it to Tezuka. The latter frowned sternly, and stared at Ryoma questionably.

“There’s only three names on this application,” he stated, handing it back to the first year. “I cannot approve the club unless you have five members.”

“But I’ll get there in time,” Ryoma argued. “C’mon, Tezuka-senpai. I got this. Can you just approve it now?”

“No means no. You have to adhere to the rules. And I told you already: I won’t approve any school idol clubs.” Ryoma turned expectantly to Fuji.

“You’re the vice president, right? Surely you can help me out,” he said. Fuji shook his head reluctantly.

“I’m sorry, Echizen. As much as I would like to help you, I cannot. Tezuka’s decision is the final decision.” He looked at his friend with a sad smile.

“Why are you against school idols?” Ryoma questioned. “What’s so bad about performing and stuff?” Tezuka looked up with cold eyes that sent shivers down Ryoma’s spine. It was almost as if he were trying to see into his soul, and Ryoma knew that he could read him like a book. The student council president stood up from his desk and circled around it, staring Ryoma down.

“Why do _you_ want to be a school idol, Echizen?” he asked. “It cannot simply just be to have fun.” He came closer, looking down on him. “Is it for the publicity? The chance to make it big in the idol industry? For potential wealth?” With each question he got closer and closer, until he was inches from Ryoma’s face, studying him closely. Ryoma tried to remain composed; he didn’t want the student council president to think he’d gotten the best of him. “Or, is it because you have someone to settle a score with?” Tezuka retracted himself, standing up straight. He folded his arms over his chest and raised his chin.

“What does it matter to you?” Ryoma retorted.

“I do not care for selfish motives,” Tezuka said coldly. “Kikumaru Eiji, Oishi Syuichiroh. Why did they join you? Do they know why you perform? It’s unfair to drag innocent people in to fulfill your personal desires.”

“But I didn’t!” Ryoma protested. “They joined out of their own will! Besides, if we’re all having fun, what does it matter? What do you care, anyway? It’s none of your business.”

“And so my disdain for school idols is none of your business, either,” Tezuka countered. “Now please. This is the last time I will tell you. No matter how many times you try, you will not get your school idol club approved.” Ryoma glared at him and slammed the door on his way out. Tezuka shook his head in irritation.

“You were too harsh on him, Tezuka,” Fuji said gently. “Look, just because you’re unhappy with something… you shouldn’t dampen someone else’s mood.” Tezuka took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“Fuji,” he started, adjusting his glasses. “This school does not need idols. We have enough reputation with our sports. Our tennis team even went to Nationals last year. We do not need some frivolous club parading around uncivilly; it’ll attract unwanted negative attention. I do not want that. I know I’m harsh, but it’s the only way to preserve the image of this school, and to keep immature behavior in check. We cannot let our guard down.” Fuji sighed, and looked out the window, and whispered to himself.

“That’s not what you would’ve said two years ago…”

“How’d it go?” Kikumaru asked impatiently. He, Oishi, and Momo (who Eiji had begged to stay) had waited outside for him. Ryoma only shook his head.

“That bad, huh,” Oishi sighed. “Well, we don’t have five members yet, but it was worth a shot, right?”

“He said he won’t approve any sort of school idol club,” Ryoma sputtered. “He hates school idols.” His companions’ faces fell in disappointment.

“Well?” Momo piped up. “Are you just going to let it end like this?” He stared at Ryoma with teasing eyes. Ryoma picked up his head and grinned.

“Course not.” Momo grinned back. Just then a loud boom sounded down the hall. Everyone jolted, and murmurs of confusion arose as other students ran to see what was going on.

“What the…”

“Must be the Chemistry Club again,” Oishi suggested, shaking his head. “I don’t know why they’re meeting before school, but…”

“This happens a lot?” Ryoma inquired curiously.

“There’s a third year in the Chemistry Club known for his wild experiments. He uses the club’s materials because he’s unable to get his hands on them himself.”

“What type of experiments?” Eiji and Oishi looked at each other uneasily, color leaving their faces.

“Juices…”

“Yeah…” Ryoma looked at both of them. The third years seemed to be reliving bad memories inside their own minds, struggling against a nightmare they couldn’t wake up from. Eventually they snapped back to reality, but the flashbacks seemed to leave a bad taste in their mouths.

“The only one apparently able to handle the weird juices is Fuji Syusuke,” Eiji mentioned, nodded at the student council room door. “And even then, some of them are too strong for him.”

“Who is this guy, anyway?” Ryoma asked uneasily. 

“Inui Sadaharu,” Momo replied seriously. “He’s tall, has spiky dark hair, and thick glasses. You can’t miss him.” He looked down at Ryoma. “If you see him, run in the opposite direction. Chances are he’ll try to make you drink one of his disgusting concoctions.”

“R-Right.”

“Anyway, what are we going to do about practice?” Eiji chimed, changing the subject. “If we aren’t an approved club, we can’t use the auditorium.” Ryoma and Oishi thought for a bit. The gym and fields would be full of sports clubs. The courtyard would be too loud and busy. And certainly they couldn’t use the auditorium; Tezuka would get more irritated than he already was.

“What about the rooftop?” Momo suggested. “I don’t see anyone go up there, ever. No one would bother you.”

“Brilliant, Momo!” Oishi exclaimed. 

“It’s settled,” Ryoma said. “Let’s meet on the rooftop after school.” He turned to Momoshiro. 

“Momo-senpai, you should come too.” Momo laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

“I told you, Echizen. It’s too silly. There’s no way I’d be good at it.” He started to walk down the hall.

“At least come watch and listen!” Momo didn’t answer.  
***  
Once again, Inui’s experiment had ended in a bang--literally. The third-year tried to figure out where he went wrong. The formula was the same as before, but that one didn’t blow up…

He wrote down his findings in his data notebook.

“Inui…” Some of the other club members approached him timidly.

“Yes? If it’s about the explosion--”

“Inui, look, we know you’re smart,” one of them started, tugging at his collar uneasily.

“Go on.”

“Well, it’s just that…”

“You’ve had too many explosions,” another one rambled. “It’s a health risk.” 

“What are you trying to say?” Inui pressed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“You are being removed from the Chemistry Club,” the other members said in unison. Inui snapped his notebook closed.

“There was a 97% chance you would have said that,” he huffed. “But I understand. I’ll pack up my things.” The other club members sighed in relief; they weren’t sure how Inui would take the news. He seemed to be alright.

Kaidoh had been listening in from outside the club room intently. Inui-senpai was being kicked out of the Chemistry Club! What should he do? He only wanted to join because he was in the Chemistry Club, but… Kaidoh shook his head.

“Kaidoh.” While Kaidoh was lost in thought, Inui had appeared from the club room, notebook in hand and dust on his face. The second-year had been caught, and the color rushed to his face.

“Senpai…” He didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. I can still run experiments at home.” Inui looked back at the disheveled club room. “Though I don’t have all the equipment that they do here.” He then looked back at the underclassman and smiled. “Did you need something from me?” Kaidoh shook his head frantically.

“I… I just heard the bang, and I thought something was wrong,” he answered quickly. “I’m sorry they kicked you out.” Inui patted his head.

“No worries.” He brushed some dust off his pants and headed down the hallway. _I’m an idiot!_ Kaidoh thought, mentally beating himself up. _You should’ve offered to help him or something!_ Frustrated, Kaidoh stuck his hands in his pockets and trudged down the hall to his classroom. He took his seat, sulking.

“What’s wrong, Mamushi?” Momoshiro teased. “Why are you so pissed today?” Kaidoh glared at him and hissed.

“It doesn’t concern you, idiot,” he growled.

“What was that?”

“Shut up!”

“Alright, Momoshiro, Kaidoh. Let’s settle down,” the teacher said. The two boys stopped, but continued to glare at each other. It was going to be a long day.  
***  
“How’d it go with the school idol club, Ryoma-kun?” Kachiro asked as Ryoma entered the room.

“I got two more members,” he mumbled.

“That’s awesome!” Katsuo exclaimed. “You only need two more to make it official!”

“Yeah.”

“Does this mean you’re going to perform on stages and stuff, and hold concerts?” Tomoka asked.

“Yeah.”

“Ahh! Ryoma-sama is so cool!” she squealed. “Right, Sakuno?” The other girl smiled timidly.

“Y-Yeah,” she whispered. “Good luck, Ryoma-kun.”

“I’d totally join, but I have to continue my services in the drama club,” Horio announced unsolicitedly. No one responded.

During lunch, Ryoma sat with Eiji and Oishi. Momo came and joined them. Ryoma asked again if Momo wanted to join the club, and Momo shook his head and answered as he did previously. He listened while the trio discussed practicing, and they should use “Still” and their debut song. Kikumaru offered to think up some choreography, and they could practice the steps after school.

“Don’t you guys need a group name before you can perform?” Momo chimed in. The others looked at him.

“We do, don’t we,” Oishi agreed. “If we don’t have a group name, no one will know who we are.” They took turns rattling off potential group names, but none of them seemed to stick.

“Let’s worry about it later,” Eiji said. “That’s not the important part right now. We have to focus on giving the best performance ever!” The other two agreed. The bell rang, and the group parted ways.

The rest of Ryoma’s day was quite uneventful until he ascended the stairs to the rooftop. Kikumaru and Oishi were already there, and they were both huddled around a laptop.

“What’s up?” Ryoma asked. Eiji turned the laptop around. Their spirits seemed damped, as if they’d lost all the motivation they had before.

“Rikkai Young Kan uploaded the official PV for ‘Owaranai Ai,’” Oishi replied. Ryoma watched, eyes glued to the screen. It seemed even better than when they were at the cafe. They had stunning effects and lighting, and their dancing was crisper than ever.

“Look at all the comments,” Oishi said.

“Yagyuu-kun has such a beautiful voice!”

“Akaya and Marui are so cute!”

“I love you, Niou-kun!”

Every single comment praised Rikkai Young Kan. They were the epitome of school idols, and it seemed nothing would drag them down. Ryoma turned the computer around and stood up.

“They’re really good, Echizen. They have everything. They’re so professional. At this rate, we won’t be able to make it in time to surpass them.”

“You’re going to let that discourage you?” he said. Eiji and Oishi looked at each other. “Okay, we may not have all the technical stuff they have, but I’m sure we’re just as good in composing, singing, and dancing. We can’t give up, we haven’t even started!” His peers stood up too, grinning.

“You’re right, Echizen,” Oishi said. “Besides, we’re here to have fun, right?”

“And make people smile!” Eiji added, throwing his arms around Oishi’s neck. “Our job is to sing and make our audience happy! Who cares if Rikkai Young Kan is at the top? We can shine brightly too!”

“Yeah!” They all cheered, pumping themselves up for their very first group practice. Rikkai Young Kan might’ve been great, but Seigaku’s idol trio would not be overlooked!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I know Tezuka sounds like a jerk but that's where I'm trying to channel the Eli/Dia opposition


	4. A Concert?

Momoshiro trudged down the street gloomily. Ryoma had been practicing nonstop for the past three days with Kikumaru and Oishi. He had no one confide in now, no one to share his stories with. Today he decided to stop by the local sushi restaurant. He heard cheerful humming as he entered. Kawamura Takashi, the son of the owner, was cleaning some dishes. Momo smiled at him; Taka-san always seemed to enjoy what he did. Everyone at school knew that once he graduated he’d go on to do professional training so that he may take over the shop one day.

“Taka-san!” Momo called. Kawamura paused his humming and looked up. He set his clean dishes down and smiled.

“Hey, Momoshiro,” he greeted happily. “How are you?” He looked around. Momo had come alone today? “You’re by yourself? Where’s Echizen?” Momo shook his head.

“Y’know he’s trying to start up a school idol club at Seigaku,” he replied. “I really don’t know what’s going on. The student council president won’t approve the club unless he gets five members, but so far he only has two others: Kikumaru Eiji and Oishi Syuichiroh.” Kawamura’s interest was piqued. School idol club? At Seigaku?

“So they need another two members,” Kawamura said. “What about you, Momo? I’ve heard you’re good at dancing. And Echizen’s your friend, right?” He started his sushi preparation. Momo threw him a halfhearted smile.

“It just… it seems lame to me,” he admitted. “Like… it definitely seems fun. But what will people think of me? What happens if I screw up? What if I’m not good enough?” Kawamura looked at him sympathetically.

“I understand what you mean,” he sighed. “Going into all this training, I’m worried I’m not going to be good enough to make the cut. I don’t want to disappoint my dad or my customers.”

“Exactly!” Taka-san hit the nail on the head. “I don’t want to disappoint Echizen or Eiji-senpai or Oishi-senpai. I know I can dance well enough, but I can’t really sing.” Momo shrugged. “And that’s kind of important.” Kawamura tilted his head, thinking, while he finished up Momo’s sushi.

“Well, is doing everything perfectly all there is to it?” he asked. Kawamura pointed at Momoshiro’s sushi. “I doubt that’s a perfect meal. I’m not a professional sushi chef. But,” he gave a smile, “I had fun making that for you. Now, it’s generally expected that food is made adequately, but wouldn’t you say school idols are different?” Momo blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Kawamura started, “an audience wants to see a good performance. But, anyone could give the best performance in the world, but if they have a poor attitude it makes the whole thing unpleasant, doesn’t it?” He offered a smile, and Momo nodded. “An audience, above all, wants to see people who are smiling and confident and enjoying themselves. If the performer is having fun, the audience is having fun, no matter what. So don’t worry about being a burden to the others, because I know they would surely accept you the way you are.” Momo listened intently while he ate his sushi. Kawamura certainly had words of wisdom and knew how to make him feel better, always.

“Thank you, Taka-san,” he said gratefully. “But… would you like to join me?”

“Huh?” Kawamura looked up in surprise.

“I heard you humming earlier, and I know it’s not much, but I bet you have a really good singing voice.” Kawamura blushed shyly, avoiding Momo’s eyes.

“Believe me, I would love to join you,” he sighed. “But I have to work here, and my time at Seigaku is almost up. Don’t get me wrong; I love singing. It’s really fun. I just don’t have the time for it.”

“Could you maybe work something out with your dad?” Momo urged. “I’m sure he’d understand. Once you leave Seigaku you could pursue your sushi training, but for now you’re still a student, right? You should be allowed to enjoy yourself and do what you love.”

“I-I don’t know, Momo,” Kawamura stammered. “I mean, my first year I tried--” He stopped. “Sorry. I’ve said too much.”

“What?” Momo leaned over the counter. “You mean, you tried to be a school idol before?” Kawamura stopped, trying to figure out what to say and how to phrase it.

“Let’s just say,” he breathed, “your friends are going to have a really difficult time trying to get their club approved.”  
***  
“That was really good!” Eiji exclaimed at the end of their practice. “We’ve gotten so much better with our dance!”

“We certainly have!” Oishi agreed. The three sat down, sweaty, and toweled off.

“I think we’re ready to plan a concert,” Ryoma said. The upperclassmen looked at him in surprise.

“You think so, Echizen?” Oishi asked, a bit worried.

“We don’t have a group name though,” Eiji interjected, sipping from his water bottle. “I can’t believe we haven’t been able to come up with anything that’s sounded good.” Ryoma shrugged.

“Let’s see if we can hold a concert first,” he said. Oishi nodded and pulled a thick packet out of his bag.

“The Code of Conduct says that anyone may use the auditorium for any purpose on the weekends, regardless of if they are in a club or not.” He flipped through the pages. “It seems the auditorium is only reserved for clubs during weekdays before and after school hours, so we shouldn’t have a problem trying to book a concert.”

“We just have to ask the director, right?” Eiji asked. Oishi nodded.

“Yeah. I don’t think she’ll be against in either,” he replied. “Shall we settle on a date?”

“How about this Saturday at six,” Ryoma suggested. “We will definitely be prepared enough by then. It shouldn’t be a problem.” Eiji and Oishi looked at each other for a second, then nodded in agreement.

“We still need a name, though,” Eiji sighed, wiping his brow. “And we can’t exactly register for the school idol ranking stuff without one.” The trio sat in silence, thinking hard. After a couple minutes, they all exchanged disappointed glances.

“Let’s sleep on it,” Oishi suggested. Everyone muttered in agreement and packed up their bags.

“Oh,” Eiji started. “What are doing for outfits?” Ryoma and Oishi stopped and looked at him.

“Outfits?” Oishi repeated.

“Yeah, like what Rikkai Young Kan has.” They all looked around uncomfortably.

“I can’t sew,” Ryoma said.

“I can’t either.”

“Nor can I.” They all sighed in unison.

“Nice outfits are part of the impact, you know,” Eiji stated. “They add a sort of… character to the group. They should reflect the song you’re singing.” He shrugged.

“It’s probably too late to try and coordinate something,” Oishi said. “How about…” He paused, and a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. “What about our school uniforms?” Eiji and Ryoma looked at each other.

“That could work,” Ryoma said. “That way we can show our school pride. Plus, they’re simple enough that they fit with the song.”

“I think so too! That’s a great idea, Oishi!” Eiji said, hugging his friend. Oishi laughed, patting Eiji on the back.

“Great!” Oishi exclaimed. “I’m glad I could be useful in some way.”

“Oishi, don’t be like that!” Eiji pouted, frowning. “You’re just as useful as anyone else in this group. We are all equal here. Plus, you have such a beautiful voice!” Oishi blushed at the compliment.

“Well, thank you, Eiji,” he said.

“So, where should we all meet tomorrow?” Ryoma asked. “In front of the director’s room?”

“Sounds good to me,” Oishi said. “That way we can get all this stuff squared away and focus on the concert.”  
***  
Ryoma walked into class the next morning to find his friends huddled around Horio. He seemed to be boasting quite loudly about Rikkai Young Kan’s new PV, and how amazing it was.

“I’m telling you, Rikkai Young Kan is probably the best idol group out there,” he snorted. Ryoma stopped and stared at him, unamused.

“That’s a shame, Horio, that you think they’re so great,” he said. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to help out at our concert.” His friends stopped and stared at him.

“A concert?” Tomoka squealed excitedly. “Ryoma-sama’s going to put on a concert!” Ryoma surveyed the group. They all shared a mixture of excitement, shock, and awe.

“Well? How about it?” Ryoma asked again. “The three of you have a lot of experience with that sort of stuff. We need people to work on the lighting, sound, and video.”

“That sounds amazing, Ryoma-kun!” Kachiro exclaimed. “We would be honored to help you!” Katsuo nodded, and Horio looked frozen in his place.

“Horio-kun?” Katsuo said, poking his friend. “You’re going to help Ryoma-kun, right? Horio composed himself and puffed out his chest.

“Well, it’s only appropriate that you come to _me_ for help,” he said. “Of course, I am the best at-”  
“Osakada, Ryuzaki, you should come watch us too,” Ryoma said quietly. He sat down at his desk, and noticed a folded up piece of paper sitting there. Quizzically he unfolded it, and widened his eyes upon reading it.

_Seishun Glory._

“Oh, Ryoma-sama, we would be _honored_ to come watch your concert! Right, Sakuno?” Tomoka expressed, nudging her friend. Sakuno nodded with a small smile, though she was bubbling up on the inside. Ryoma invited her to watch him sing! “When is it? And, what’s your group’s name?”

“Saturday at six,” Ryoma answered monotonously, mesmerized by the paper in his hand. “And our group is called Seishun Glory.”

“Seishun Glory?” Horio repeated. “Well, I _guess_ it has a nice ring to it.”

“I agree,” Katsuo said. “I think it fits you guys well.”

“Thanks,” Ryoma mumbled. He slouched in his seat, secretly pleased by the unwavering support of his friends.

“Seishun Glory, huh,” Tomoka whispered. “Hey, Sakuno, are you free this afternoon?”

“W-What?” Sakuno blinked in surprise as her friend grabbed her wrists. “I suppose I am.”

“You should come over today! I have an idea.”  
***  
Tezuka’s heart rate increased as he stared at the computer screen. His eyes traced over the email again and again. It could not possibly be. There wasn’t… there wasn’t any indication that there had ever been a problem with the school. He breathed deeply as he putting his face in his hands. The door opened, but he didn’t look up.

“Tezuka, I-” Fuji stopped, studying the state of his friend. His face fell and he ran over. Tezuka was never like this. He was always composed and calm, and never showed any sign of discomfort, or, any extreme emotion really. All Tezuka did was push his computer towards Fuji with the email still open. Fuji read it quickly, and looked back at Tezuka.

“Is the director sure that this is happening?” he asked gravely. “It just seems so sudden, I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Trust me, Fuji, I have read that email a thousand times since I opened it,” Tezuka answered, picking his head up. “Forgive me for being in such a state. I had no idea what was happening.” Fuji placed a hand delicately on Tezuka’s back.

“I’m just as shocked as you are,” Fuji admitted. “I, too, couldn’t have even predicted this conclusion. What do you plan to do?” Tezuka rubbed his hands together, blinking rapidly.

“What can I do,” he breathed. “I don’t have any solutions at the moment. Surely, surely we can come up with something.” Fuji gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I understand. It must be quite hard on you,” he consoled. “I know you would be completely against the idea, but I have a potential solution.” He tilted his head and smiled worriedly.

“Fuji, at this point I have to consider any solution that is brought forth to me,” Tezuka said. “Just tell me what it is so that we may discuss it.” Fuji swallowed and gave a sigh, preparing himself for the inevitable storm of Tezuka’s wrath.

“Maybe Echizen Ryoma is more valuable than we thought.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Seishun Glory" is actually a duet sung by SCRIPT (Echizen Ryoma and Echizen Ryoga). I just thought it fit as a group name.


	5. Spread the Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how often I will be able to update this since school is starting, but I will do my best! :)

“Fuji,” Tezuka said slowly. “What are you talking about? What is the meaning of this?” He stood up and eyed his friend suspiciously.

“I’m sorry,” Fuji apologized. “But be realistic, Tezuka. Do you really intend to stay rigid like this and deny anyone from having fun? Besides, it could draw good publicity to our school.” He reached out to place a hand on Tezuka’s shoulder, but the student council president pushed it away gently. He turned around and faced the window.

“I don’t want them to get hurt,” Tezuka explained. Fuji opened his mouth to respond, but Tezuka continued. “Fuji, do you know who Echizen Nanjiroh is?”

“He was a big time celebrity back in the day, wasn’t he?” Fuji said. “Wait… you don’t mean to tell me that you think Echizen’s only doing this because of his father, do you?” Tezuka turned his head to meet Fuji’s gaze.

“Think about it Fuji,” he said. “Kids are often influenced by their parents in making career choices. For Oishi, it’s inheriting his father’s hospital. For our friend Kawamura Takashi, it’s taking over the family’s sushi shop. I have no doubt that Echizen Ryoma is blindly trying to follow in his father’s footsteps to be an idol.”

“That’s different!” Fuji protested. “Those two are _expected_ to take over for their fathers. And I believe Echizen Ryoma knows what he’s doing, so why don’t you just leave him be?”

“Fuji.” Tezuka turned around completely with a frown. “Do you not remember what happened two years ago? The pain we felt? The embarrassment we suffered?”

“I…”

“Echizen Nanjiroh was just one of those lucky people to gain national and even international recognition. Rikkai Young Kan is a lucky group that will probably follow in a similar fashion.” He looked away, trying to will himself to halt the development of tears.

“Tezuka, but…”

“I want to protect Echizen Ryoma and his friends. They don’t know how hard it is to get anywhere in the idol industry. They’re much better off pursuing more stable hobbies.” He stopped and looked at Fuji one more time. “I will ask you to not encourage them any further. I’m going to go talk to the director about all of this. Excuse me.” Tezuka closed his computer and took it with him as he left the student council room. Fuji sighed, and sunk down in a chair.

“Tezuka, Taka-san and I were just happy to have fun with you,” he whispered, voice quivering. “Why couldn’t you see that?”  
***  
“The school’s closing down?” Ryoma, Kikumaru, and Oishi all stared at Director Ryuzaki with their mouths gaping open. She nodded grimly.

“There’s been a sharp decline in the number of students applying to Seigaku,” she explained. “At this rate, we’re thinking about having the school shut down.”

“No,” Eiji breathed, tears welling up in his eyes. “No! That’s not fair!”

“This is terrible news,” Oishi said. He looked at Ryoma, and much to his surprise, the first-year seemed unphased.

“It’s not official yet, right? You only said you’re _thinking_ about closing it down,” he stated, narrowing his eyes.

“Well, of course,” Ryuzaki said. “If we could somehow find a way to attract students to Seigaku, the enrollment rate won’t be a problem anymore.” The trio of boys all looked at each other, and they all thought the same thing.

“Ryuzaki-sensei,” Oishi addressed. “We might be able to help with that problem.” The boys explained everything to her: everything about open mic night, and Rikkai Young Kan, and the student council president, and how they wanted to hold a concert. The director listened intently, and although she didn’t seem to be entirely convinced, she agreed that it might work.

“You boys are right,” she said. “School idols do seem to be gaining popularity as of late. And I suppose there could be no harm done. Hopefully if you succeed, more students will be drawn to apply to Seigaku.”

“What about the whole official club thing?” Eiji asked. “We don’t have five members, and,” he looked at the floor, “Tezuka doesn’t like school idols, apparently.”

“And we don’t even have a group name yet,” Oishi added.

“Yes we do,” Ryoma piped up with a smirk. “Seishun Glory.” Oishi and Eiji looked at each other briefly, blinking, before nodding.

“I like it,” Oishi said.

“Me too! It sounds all official and cool!” Eiji exclaimed.

“Well,” Ryuzaki huffed, putting her hands on her hips, “I don’t see why we shouldn’t allow you all the chance to prove yourselves.” The boys all looked at her expectantly, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, look, I’ll make a special exception for you guys. If you can make your concert a success, I will approve the club for you, even if you don’t have enough members.”

“Does that mean we can sign up as an official group?” Eiji asked, eyes glittering. “Like, for real?”

“I don’t see why not,” Ryuzaki said. “But, if it turns out that you guys can’t make it, then you have to stop with this whole school idol business.” She looked at Ryoma. “Kikumaru, Oishi, may I speak with Echizen alone?” The upperclassmen nodded, though confused, and left the director’s room.

“What is it, Ryuzaki-sensei?” Ryoma said with a cheeky grin. “Are you going to praise me for my brilliance?” Ryuzaki’s smile faded, and she became more serious.

“Echizen Ryoma, I had the pleasure of knowing your father,” she stated. “What are your true intentions for this group, if I may ask?” Ryoma looked at his feet, wiggling his toes in his shoes. He didn’t know how to respond.

“I just… I want to be the best, is all,” he answered. “I want to be better than my dad ever was.”

“And are you having fun with this?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Of course. Kikumaru-senpai and Oishi-senpai are great, and they seem to be enjoying themselves.”

“Good.” She paused and studied his face. “Just remember, you’re not the only one in this. Don’t do anything stupid or selfish.”

“Got it,” Ryoma breathed.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but the idol industry is extremely rough, and there’s no guarantee that your group will get anywhere.” Ryuzaki smiled. “I wish you all the best of luck.” Ryoma nodded and left the office. On his way out, he almost collided with Tezuka, and they both took a moment to study each other. The former grinned deviously, while the later frowned sternly.

“We’re having a concert on Saturday at six,” Ryoma announced after a few seconds of silence. “You should come and watch us.” Tezuka swallowed, though his outward composure was left unaffected. He said nothing as he entered Ryuzaki’s office and closed the door. Ryoma smirked as he watched him.

“I don’t think Tezuka likes you very much,” Eiji whispered.

“What did the director have to say to you?” Oishi asked. Ryoma shrugged.

“Nothing of importance.” He was just happy that he could finally, finally prove himself as a capable idol. Surely someone would notice their talent.

“Should we go out for sushi to celebrate our glorious victory?” Oishi suggested.

“That sounds fun! How about Taka’s place?” Eiji exclaimed.

“That sounds good,” Ryoma agreed. “I haven’t had sushi in a while.” The group made its way to the local sushi shop, which was arguably the best in town. As they approached, they heard singing coming from the shop. They poked their heads in, curious. The voice was a bit rough, but that gave it quite a bit of character, and was altogether very sweet and uplifting. Ryoma noted how well the voice was projected.

_“It’s a beautiful day, beautiful day, That time is_  
It's a beautiful day, beautiful day even now  
It's a beautiful day, beautiful day glistening  
and shining. We were always there. We were always.”

“Ohh, Taka-san, you have such a sweet voice!” Eiji praised, bursting through the door. “Really, you do!” Kawamura blushed and smiled awkwardly.

“Thank you, Eiji,” he said, slightly embarrassed.

“Sorry for bursting in like this, Taka-san,” Oishi apologized. “But Eiji is right. You certainly do have a great voice.” Ryoma followed in and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Kawamura smiled forcibly at him, recalling his recent conversation with Momoshiro.

“We’re having a concert on Saturday at six,” Ryoma said. “You should come.” Kawamura stared at him in awe.

“Really?” he asked. “Well,” he looked at Oishi and Kikumaru, “if my friends are performing, I ought to pay them a visit in return for all the patronage they’ve given this shop.” The third-years grinned giddily.

“Thank you, Taka-san,” Oishi said. “This means a lot to us.” Kawamura smiled, though as Ryoma studied him, he detected hints of sorrow in his face.

“Soon we’ll be the number one idol group in Japan,” he boasted confidently. Kawamura’s smile disappeared, and the color seemed to leave his face. He coughed and averted his gaze, looking to start his sushi preparation. Ryoma cocked his head and furrowed his brow.

“Totally!” Eiji added. “Kiddo’s great at composing and writing lyrics, I can help with choreography, and Oishi has a soothing voice!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Oishi warned. “We have to see how our concert turns out first.”

“Speaking of which, we have to promote it, somehow,” Ryoma said. “I guess we could pass out flyers.”

“If you bring one by I can hang it up here,” Kawamura offered. Oishi smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Taka-san,” he said. “You truly are such a great friend.” Kawamura smiled back, and handed each one of them a plate.

“Here you are, guys. Kawamura Takashi’s famous sushi!” As he watched his friends eat, he again thought about what Momo was telling him. He wanted to join for his friend, Ryoma, but didn’t think he was good enough to join. Kawamura would have liked to join, too, but since the group was already established and they already had a concert planned, he didn’t want to be a burden.

All of this led him to think about his first year. One day after school he was walking by the music room and heard a beautiful voice singing; it was the sort of voice that carried so much emotion and passion that he just had to stop and listen. Once the song was over, Kawamura poked his head in the door. He spotted a slight boy with light brown hair, alone, looking out the window.

Kawamura was severed from his daydream when Eiji slid his plate forward. It seemed that his friends had already finished their food, and each laid some money on the counter.

“Thanks, Taka-san,” Oishi said. “Your food was delicious as always.”

“Indeed!” Eiji exclaimed. “I’ve never had such awesome sushi! Never quit, Taka-san.”

“It was good,” Ryoma mumbled. “You certainly live up to your name.” He smirked and followed the third-years out the door, leaving Kawamura alone and in a state of conflicting emotions.  
***  
“That looks great, Sakuno!” Tomoka exclaimed. “You’re so good at drawing!”

“Really?” Sakuno looked down. Tomoka had an idea to design flyers to pass out before and after school to promote Ryoma’s concert. She studied her flyer. Of course, she wanted it to be as neat and colorful as possible to attract attention. At the top she wrote “Seishun Glory” and proceeded to include the details of the concert. At the bottom she drew Kikumaru, Ryoma, and Oishi in a chibi sort of form, all smiling and dancing.

“I think Ryoma-sama will like it.” Sakuno blushed at her friend’s words.

“What are you working on, Tomo-chan?” Tomoka grinned and held up a shirt. It was beautiful, and so well crafted that Sakuno almost thought that she’d just bought it from the store.

“I’m making them outfits,” she responded. “Of course, I still have to make the blazers and the pants, but I’ll definitely be done by the time the concert rolls around.” She shook her head and laughed. “Boys have no fashion sense, you know?” The two girls laughed. Tomoka pulled out her sketchbook and should Sakuno her visions of the outfits.

For Kikumaru, she designed a bright red blazer, blue shorts, and a blue bowtie. The mismatching colors and casual style fit his personality well. For Oishi, Tomoka had drawn almost the opposite. His had a blue blazer with a red trim, red pants, and a red tie. His color scheme was meant to balance out Kikumaru’s, since both of them were assumed to flank Ryoma.

And as for Ryoma, Tomoka hadn’t designed a blazer, but rather a pale blue waistcoat, bright blue pants matching Oishi’s blazer, and a red necktie. All three of them were to wear white dress shirts underneath. Tomoka explained that she wanted them not only to look sharp, but to embody the spirit of Seigaku, and so she chose the school’s colors.

“That’s amazing, Tomo-chan,” Sakuno gasped in amazement. “I had no idea you knew how to do all of this!” Tomoka shrugged with a smile.

“It’s one of my many charms,” she said.

“I bet Ryoma-kun and Kikumaru-senpai and Oishi-senpai will be super pleased with this,” Sakuno said.

“I agree!” Tomoka exclaimed. “And maybe this’ll help you get closer to Ryoma-sama.” She nudged her friend with her elbow mischievously. Sakuno blushed madly.

“D-Don’t talk like that!”

“Oh come on, Sakuno. It’s so obvious that you like him,” Tomoka giggled. “You always blush when you see him or hear his name, and your knees knock together.”

“I suppose I do like him,” the twin-braided girl admitted. “B-But don’t tell him that!” Tomoka held a finger to her lips and smiled.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” she said. “Now,” she picked up Sakuno’s finished flyer, “let’s get this to the copier, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Taka is singing is called Ano Basho Made ~ Sloping Road and can be accessed via YouTube.
> 
> The outfits Tomoka is designing are the Party Time outfits from Aozu and Cap to Bin's covers. I decided to have Ryoma lose the blazer that there wasn't an imbalance of red and blue.


	6. Second Guessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you're enjoying the fic so far! :)

“We’re hosting a concert!” Tomoka shouted, grinning as she practically shoved flyers into the hands of passersby. “Come see Seishun Glory perform Saturday night!” Sakuno watched in awe at her friend’s confidence. Tomoka was always so outgoing and straightforward, it was amazing! Sakuno blushed as she thought about how shy and inept she was. She could hardly speak more than two words to Ryoma, and she couldn’t function in front of strangers. She’d tried to pass out the concert flyers, but everyone seemed to walk past her as if she were invisible.

“Come on, Sakuno! Put some heart in it!” Tomoka shouted from the other side of the school entrance. This just made Sakuno even more embarrassed. She sighed, and resolved to make the next person take a flyer.

“Excuse me!” she squeaked loudly as someone approached her. She squeezed her eyes closed and stiffly stuck her arm out, pushing a flyer into the person’s chest. “Please come to the concert on Saturday!” Slowly she opened her eyes, and gasped as she met eyes with Kaidoh Kaoru, a second year. He glared at her with furious eyes and hissed, snatching the flyer from her shaking hand. Without a word he walked away, leaving Sakuno teary-eyed and her knees knocking together.

“Bad luck, Sakuno,” Tomoka comforted, patting her back. “It’s just Kaidoh-senpai. It’s not like he’ll actually hurt you. I’ve heard he’s actually quite kind and sensitive.” Sakuno only sighed and hung her head. “Hey, look! It’s Ryoma-sama!” At Tomoka’s exclamation, Sakuno picked her head up and straightened her back.

“Ryoma-kun…” He was chatting with Kikumaru and Oishi. Upon spotting her and Tomoka, all three waved.

“Look at the flyers Sakuno made for you guys!” Tomoka boasted, holding one up proudly. “Isn’t it great?” Eiji eagerly took it from her and inspected it with a childish grin.

“This is so, so cute!” he exclaimed. “Look, Oishi! Look at how adorable we are!” He pointed at the chibis at the bottom of the page. Oishi nodded with a warm smile.

“This is a lovely surprise,” he said. “Thank you very much for doing this for us. It means a lot, and takes a lot of stress off our backs. Right, Echizen?” He looked at the first-year, who averted his gaze.

“It’s pretty cool, I guess,” he mumbled, then glanced at Sakuno. “Thanks.”  
***  
Kaidoh gripped the flyer tightly. A school idol concert? He gulped. Kikumaru-senpai and Oishi-senpai were going to be in it, as well as that first-year kid who was friends with Momo. His mind tossed and turned in his head, wondering whether on not he should go.

Wait a minute. _This would be the perfect excuse to hang out with Inui-senpai!_ he thought. The two of them never really got to spend free time together between Kaidoh’s training and Inui’s experiments and data collection. Hopefully, just hopefully Inui would agree to go with him. He just had to figure out when and how to ask.

“Ah, Kaidoh.” _Speak of the devil._ Inui’s voice caught him completely off guard and he spun around. “What is that?” He pointed to the now wrinkled flyer that Kaidoh had smushed to his chest in surprise.

“Umm…” He took a deep breath and gingerly showed Inui the concert flyer. “Inui-senpai, would you…”

“Another idol group?” Inui huffed, adjusting his glasses. “There’s a ninety-eight per-”

“What?” Kaidoh interjected.

“Oh. Nothing.” He handed the flyer back. “What were you saying, Kaidoh?” Kaidoh frowned. Inui hadn’t be paying attention to him at all.

“D-Did you want to go to the concert with me?” he asked. “I mean, if you’re free and all…” He waved his hand absently and looked around, embarrassing. Inui smiled.

“Of course. I’d love to. I’ll meet you at your house, then? We can walk together,” he offered. Kaidoh’s eyes lit up and a big smile spread across his face.

“That sounds great, Inui-senpai!” he exclaimed. “Thank you!” Inui nodded.

“No problem. This will give me a great chance to broaden my data research. This… this will be interesting.” Kaidoh’s smile faded as quickly as it appeared. _He doesn’t care about me, he just wants to gather data!_ Kaidoh mentally beat himself up. _Of course_ Inui would only want to go to collect data. What did he expect? Kaidoh shook his head, and was about to walk away, when he remembered what Inui had said just a minute ago. 

“Inui-senpai, what did you mean by another idol group?” he asked. “Do we already have a different school idol club?” Inui wetted his lips, thinking of the best way to respond. Kaidoh waited patiently, staring intently at Inui.

“Let’s just say we had one in the past, and it didn’t go over very well,” Inui replied, leaving Kaidoh with more questions than he initially started with.

“Wh-”

“It’s a long story. I can tell you another day,” Inui continued. “Speaking of which, Kaidoh, you haven’t joined any clubs yet, right? Application time is running out.” Kaidoh shrugged. “What about the Track Club? You’re a great runner. I bet you’d do well.” The second-year swallowed. He had thought about the Track Club, but Inui wasn’t in it, and he couldn’t just admit that…

“What about you, Inui-senpai? What are you going to do after being kicked out of the Chemistry Club?” he countered, trying to take the attention off of himself. Inui gave a small chuckle.

“Well, I doubt any other clubs would want me. I can’t think of anything else I would be good at, and the data might not be as valuable.”

“You just said the School Idol Club would have a lot of data.” He stared hard at Inui, imagining him wearing a frilly pink outfit and dancing. Kaidoh stifled a laugh. Come to think of it, he’d never heard Inui sing before. Inui seemed to be contemplating the situation, and weighing its consequences quite thoroughly.

“What do you think of the School Idol Club--rather, this group, ‘Seishun Glory?’” Inui asked. Kaidoh shrugged.

“The hell if I know,” he answered gruffly. “Some girl just gave that flyer to me.” He tapped it. “They look cool, I guess.”

“There are a lot of idol groups out there, Kaidoh. Only a few of them get popular, and most of those that do have a hard time maintaining their popularity,” Inui explained. “As much as it’s interesting and ‘cool,’ as you put it, that we have an idol group at Seigaku now, no one can guarantee that they will be able to climb to the top. There are simply too many variables to take into account.”

“But Inui-senpai, there must be a way to help them out. I mean, did you hear the news? Apparently Seigaku might shut down,” Kaidoh protested. “I like this school a lot, and I’ve heard that Seishun Glory’s goal is to save the school from closing. Surely you must know some tricks to increase their chances of success!”

“Aside from hacking the ranking results, which is illegal, I cannot do anything,” Inui said. “Now, I must get to class, Kaidoh. Try not to dwell too much on this. It’s not like you’re in the club, right? Try to find another way to help Seigaku out.” With that Inui passed him and headed down the hall towards his class, leaving a confused and conflicted Kaidoh behind.  
***  
At lunch, Momoshiro was physically present, but his mind was elsewhere. He stared absently at a flyer one of the first-years had put up in the cafeteria.

“...so, you’re coming to our concert, right, Momo?” Momo snapped from his daze as Kikumaru nudged him. “Eh? What’s wrong, Momo? You don’t seem like your normal self today.” Momo shook his head and forced a smile.

“I’m good, but thanks, Eiji-senpai. I’ll come to you guys’ concert,” he said, then went back to staring at the poster. If only he wasn’t such a wuss, he’d be up there too in a bright uniform, smiling. He’d be able sing and dance alongside his friends, and he could make the whole school happy. It was too late to say anything now; he didn’t want to barge in and expect to be accepted.

“Momo-senpai, you’ve hardly eaten anything,” Ryoma observed after a while. “Are you sick?” Momo jolted and looked down at his lunch. He’d taken two bites out of his sandwich, but that was it. He supposed he’d been so consumed with daydreaming about some fictitious concert that he lost all his appetite.

“I’m fine,” he answered. “I just… I guess I’m not hungry today.” The other three exchanged surprised glances.

“But Momo, you eat so much all the time!” Eiji cried. “Maybe you should go see the nurse.” Oishi nodded.

“You do look a little pale,” he remarked. Momo stood up with a halfhearted smile.

“Thanks for your concern, guys, but I’m alright, really. I’ll catch you later.” The second-year packed up his food and exited the cafeteria.

“I wonder what’s wrong with him,” Oishi breathed, concerned. He’d known Momo for a while, but he had never acted so gloomy before.

“Maybe he hates that we’re school idols,” Eiji said. “He did say that they were super lame.”

“He’ll come around,” Ryoma piped up, sipping his Ponta. “He always does.”

_What an idiot!_ Momo thought as he left the cafeteria. How could he let himself get like that in front of his friends? It was no use pouting over it; that would be selfish. He had to be happy for his friends and would love to see their concert, but he couldn’t help be feel sad for having passed up the opportunity to join them. Momo had to visit the burger joint alone now, since Ryoma was always practicing with Oishi and Kikumaru.

“What’re you looking so put out for?” Kaidoh growled as Momo took his seat. The latter had no energy to try and put up a fight, and only sighed.

“Just not feeling it today.” He looked at Kaidoh’s desk and spotted the flyer. “You’re going to the concert, too, Mamushi?” Kaidoh quickly snatched up the flyer and stuck it in his bag.

“So what,” he muttered. “It’s important to show school pride.” Momo chuckled a little bit and smiled.  
“Indeed it is.”  
***  
“Takashi! Hurry up with those tables!” Kawamura looked up to see his dad staring at him in confusion. “Come on, son. You’re typically a lot more efficient with your cleaning. Something on your mind?” Taka smiled and worked faster.

“Sorry, Dad. I was just thinking about the concert on Saturday.” He finished wiping down one table and moved to the next. “My friends are performing, so I’m really excited to see how they do.”

“Do you miss it?” his dad asked, washing some dishes and knives in the sink. Taka stopped and looked up in surprise.

“Huh?”

“Do you miss being an idol?” his father repeated. “I remember you had a lot of fun in your first-year. You’d stay up late rehearing dance moves in your room.” Taka blushed at the memory.

“Y-Yeah, it was a lot of fun, but things are different now. I’m graduating this year and then I’ll go into training so that I can take over this shop someday,” he said. Indeed, it had been fun as an idol, getting to sing and dance with Fuji and Tezuka. If only things had been different…

“You’ve got your whole senior year left, Takashi,” his dad said. “I know your sushi training is important to you, but you have to remember to have fun.” He turned off the faucet and began drying the dishes. “Obviously I expect you to not neglect your work here, but if you want to pursue something fun, why not do it?” Taka looked down at his feet.

“I do want to keep singing and dancing,” he admitted. “It was so much fun! But I think it’s too late to join now. They’ve already got their first concert booked and it would be rude to ask to join at this point.”

“Now now, don’t be like that!” his dad cried. “If they are your friends, they will definitely make room for you. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?” He turned around to look at his son. “Takashi, any idol group would be lucky to have you. I’ve heard you sing, and you have the best voice of any idol I know.” He grinned, and Taka couldn’t help but smile himself. “Promise me you’ll just give it a shot and ask them?” Taka nodded eagerly.

“I’ll do my best, Dad.”  
***  
The phone on the other side of the line had been ringing for longer than Fuji anticipated, and he was growing more and more worried that Yuuta was ignoring him again.

“Come on, Yuuta, pick up the phone,” Fuji whispered. He didn’t want to have to leave a third voicemail.

“Aniki? What do you want? Why did you leave me so many messages?” Fuji smiled as he heard Yuuta’s voice.

“How are you enjoying St. Rudolph?” Fuji asked, blissful that his younger brother, for once, picked up the phone. He heard a huff of irritation on the other side of the line.

“What? Is that all you wanted to say? It’s fine, I suppose,” Yuuta answered. “Mizuki’s been kind to me in all of this musical stuff.  
“That’s great to hear,” Fuji said. “Hey, Yuuta… there’s a concert at Seigaku on Saturday, and I wanted to know if you’d like to come. We have an idol group now and I’m expecting it to be a great one.”

“Weren’t you in an idol group?” Yuuta asked. “What happened to that?”

“Never mind it, Yuuta. So, will you come?” Fuji asked again. His little brother sighed.

“Fine. I guess I have to. Sure, I’ll come home for the weekend and we can go do that,” he agreed. Fuji grinned.

“Great, Yuuta! I can’t wait to see you!” he exclaimed. “See you then!”

“See you.” Yuuta hung up first without hesitation, and Fuji put his phone down.

“I hope this can fix our relationship.”


	7. Seigaku, Fight On!

The day of the concert finally arrived. Ryoma, Oishi, and Kikumaru waited off stage in the prep room in their school uniforms. They all looked at themselves in the mirror.

“It’ll do, right?” Oishi asked, swallowing. “I mean…”

“It’s the best we’ve got,” Ryoma said. “We just have to go out there and own it.”

“Kiddo’s right,” Eiji agreed. “I think we look cool!” There was a knock on the door, and they all turned around quizzically.

“Come in,” Oishi called. The door opened, and the trio was met with Tomoka and Sakuno. They were holding various articles of clothing. Tomoka grinned.

“Just as I expected, you didn’t have any outfits ready,” she laughed. “Good thing we made these for you guys!” She handed each boy an outfit. They were all at a loss for words. Eiji’s mouth gaped open as he inspected his outfit. Oishi fingered the cloth in awe. Did these girl really make these all by themselves?

“I… I don’t know what to say,” he gasped. “This is absolutely spectacular. Thank you so much! First the flyers, now these outfits…”

“It’s not a problem at all! I’m used to making clothes so it wasn’t a big deal. Sakuno and I had a lot of fun, right, Sakuno?” She nudged her friend with her elbow. Sakuno nodded fervently with a smile. “Of course, if you want, we can continue supplying you guys with outfits.”

“Awesome!” Eiji exclaimed. “You guys are the best!” Tomoka laughed haughtily. Sakuno looked shyly at Ryoma, who was still looking at his outfit. He hadn’t said anything at all. Did he hate it? She didn’t want to be stuck in an embarrassing position.

“This is nice,” he finally said. “Thanks. We’re about to start soon, so you should get to your seats.”

“Good luck, Ryoma-sama!” Tomoka shouted and dragged Sakuno out the door.

“This truly is impressive,” Oishi remarked. “Who would have thought they’d go that far? For us, even?” They all dressed out of their school uniforms and into their concert outfits.

“Wow, Oishi, you look sharp!” Eiji complimented. “You too, kiddo!” He patted Ryoma’s back.

“Thanks.”

“You look great yourself, Eiji,” Oishi said. “That outfit suits you.” The redhead grinned.

Ryoma stood there, looking at himself in the mirror. Why did his classmates go through so much trouble to help him out? The flyers were cool, but these outfits… these were beyond anything he could think of. Those two girls put so much thought into capturing each performer’s personality. He’d have to personally thank them later.

“Shall we head out?” he asked, looking at his friends. They both smiled and nodded. Ryoma stuck out his hand, and looked at each of them to follow. “Seigaku…”

“Fight on!” Oishi and and Eiji shouted, and they all raised their arms at once. Ryoma grinned.

“Let’s go.”  
***  
Kawamura looked around. The auditorium was full of Seigaku students; it was impressive how much pride the student body had. He was able to secure a seat in the back and was able to look down at the stage. He smiled, remembering how he had performed there during their first concert as well.

“Aniki, we got here too late!” Taka heard a voice cry. He turned around to see Fuji with his brother entering the auditorium.

“Ah, Fuji!” Taka called. “There’s some seats here!” Fuji spotted him and smiled. He said something to Yuuta and they took two seats next to him.

“Lucky thing we saw you, Taka-san,” Fuji said. “Yuuta would’ve gotten more upset than he already is.”  
“I’m not _upset_ , I’m just _irritated_ that you caused us to be late! Even after you called me out come with you!” Yuuta sneered, folding his arms across his chest.

“Sorry, Yuuta.”

“Hmph.”

“Looks like there’s a good turnout,” Taka commented. Fuji nodded slowly and sighed.

“Far more people than we had at our first concert.” The duo fell silent, each remembering the times they spent together two years ago. Since then they’d slowly drifted apart as Taka’s involvement in the shop and Fuji’s role in the student council increased. “Sorry for bringing it up,” Fuji said after a while. “But, I guess it’s not something we can avoid, right?” He looked at his friend. Taka nodded and met his gaze.

“Right.”

Kaidoh shifted uneasily in his seat, frowning. Inui was sitting next to him and he had barely said a word to Kaidoh. His nose was stuck in his data book and he scribbled furiously, and with each passing minute Kaidoh found that he wanted to strangle him more and more. This wasn’t what Kaidoh had intended at all!

“So… there’s a lot of people here…” he started, desperate for conversation. Inui nodded.

“Yes. The numbers are astonishing.” Kaidoh hissed and turned to face the stage. How oblivious could Inui be? After more moments of silence between them, he looked at Inui again and frowned.

“What are you doing after this?” he asked. Inui looked up from his data book for once and paused his scribbling.

“I’ll probably input these numbers into an algorithm that will determine the success rate of Seishun Glory,” he responded. Kaidoh crossed his arms and slumped down in his seat.

“For someone who doesn’t seem like the type to enjoy idol groups, you seem to be invested in this a lot,” he said. “Why?”

“‘Why?’ Well, data is prevalent everywhere. And the data I gather here isn’t just about idols. It’s about the students, the performers, the school itself, and the general public. I can also use it to study behavior patterns and personalities,” Inui explained as he returned to his scribbling. “The success of this group does not solely rely on the performers. It relies on the technicalities of the performance, its reception by the audience, the venue, the type of song… as I said before, there are plenty of variables to take into account.”

“Still, you know a lot about idols,” Kaidoh repeated. He swallowed. “Inui-senpai, do you want to be an idol?”

“What an interesting question,” Inui said, closing his data notebook. Kaidoh waited for an answer, anything, but Inui kept his mouth shut and looked forward. What the hell? He couldn’t just leaving him hanging like that!

“Well…?”

“‘Well’ what?”

“Do you want to be an idol or not?” Kaidoh’s patience was running thin.

“It would certainly be a unique experience, wouldn’t it?” Inui said. Kaidoh sighed. He couldn’t get anywhere with Inui.

Momoshiro bounced his leg impatiently. He’d gotten there early so he could get a front row seat. He never expected the auditorium to fill up as much as it did. So many students came out to support their school’s idol group, just as if it were any sporting event. It was amazing, really. Looking up at the stage, he took a deep breath. _I could be up there…_ he thought. But he wasn’t. It was too late to do anything now, so he might as well do his best just supporting his friends.

The lights dimmed and the audience roared. The spotlight appeared on Kikumaru, Ryoma, and Oishi as they took the stage. Momo held his breath; they looked stunning, just like real idols. Their outfits were amazing, and each other them appeared calm and composed.

“Welcome, everyone, to our first concert!” Ryoma shouted into the auditorium. The audience responded with excessive cheering. “We are Seishun Glory, the school idol group here at Seishun Gakuen. Today we will be performing an original song for you called ‘Still.’ Please enjoy us, and support us as we ascend to the top of the school idol world!” Once again he was met with an overwhelming applause. The trio got into position and the music started.

They danced, and they sang. Fuji could not take his eyes off of them. Ryoma’s voice was far improved from what it had been at the open mic night, especially paired with better sound quality. Kikumaru was exceptional at dancing and wore a big smile. Oishi was as calm and graceful as ever and had an amazing singing voice. It was so gentle and soothing, which complimented Eiji’s higher, more cheerful voice.

Yuuta couldn’t take his eyes off the performance either. He’d never seen such idols, aside from the usual high ranked groups. Could they really be amateurs? He’d transferred to St. Rudolph in order to pursue his passion for music and singing. But even Mizuki couldn’t top this. It was breathtaking to watch.

Kawamura gulped as chills ran up and down his back. Such care was taken into every step and every note, and the three of them were enjoying themselves now more than ever. All the memories of performing two years ago flooded back to him, engulfing his mind as he observed the fantastic display before him. Why couldn’t they have been like that? Why couldn’t he and Fuji and Tezuka have accomplished this? Oh, how he wanted to go back to singing and dancing and having fun. But it was impossible. More than anything he wanted to put a smile on someone’s face with his singing, but that was a request that the universe could no longer fulfill.

Kaidoh’s eyes were glued to the stage. Idols! Real life idols were performing in front of him! And they were having so much fun. If only Kaidoh knew how to sing, he would love to join them. But his voice was too low and unrefined, and he was conscious of how scary he looked. He couldn’t make anyone smile like Ryoma and his friends could. And, without Inui-senpai, he knew he couldn’t do it.

Kaidoh looked to his right, expecting Inui to be jotting notes down in his data notebook, but he wasn’t. Inui was watching just as intently as everyone else, and seemed to be completely immersed in the production. Kaidoh wondered if he was just mentally taking notes, or had just fallen asleep in an upright position. Either way, he shrugged, and turned his attention back to the spectacle.

Momo couldn’t believe his eyes or his ears. Ryoma had such a beautiful voice, as well as Oishi and Kikumaru. The three of them were actually dancing. Their form wasn’t perfect and wasn’t completely synchronized, but it certainly was quite impressive for a group that was extremely new. How far could they go? How much could they improve? He studied each of their moves closely--every step, every twist. If only… if only he could be up there, dancing alongside them.

The song ended and the trio bowed. Violent cheers and applause filled the auditorium. The concert was a success! Ryoma smirked and looked at Eiji and Oishi. All of them were breathing hard and sweat trickled down their faces. All their hard work had paid off.

Out of the corner of Ryoma’s eye he spotted a figure approaching the stage. The noise quickly died down. Ryoma grinned his normal devious grin.

“You came to our concert,” he said. “What did you think? Good enough to save the school?” Tezuka stared at him with a permanent frown.

“Most of the people here are Seigaku students,” he said. “You only have them to thank for your success. It’s because of our school’s pride that you’ve gotten this far.” He motioned to the audience. “What are you going to do now?” Ryoma opened his mouth to speak, but Oishi stepped forward. A passionate fire burned in his eyes.

“We are going to keep performing,” he replied. “We may not be able to save the school this way, and we may not know what the future holds, but all we can do is keep at it and do our best.”

“We’re having fun, too!” Eiji piped up, stepping forward as well. “We want to see people smile and make them happy! Isn’t that what it means to be a school idol?” He looked at Oishi and Ryoma, both of them nodding. “It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun and enjoying ourselves. If we aren’t having fun, the audience isn’t having fun!” Tezuka looked at the three of them, biting his lip.

“Don’t let your guard down,” he said, turning around to walk back up the aisle.

The audience started to disperse, as the end of the concert was apparent. A few lingered, especially those who were friends of the idol group.

“Congratulations,” Director Ryuzaki said, approaching them. “I must say, that concert had quite the turnout. I suppose I must uphold my end of the bargain and make your School Idol Club official, yes?” She gave a warm smile.

“Oh! We get a club room now, don’t we!” Eiji exclaimed, skipping circles around Oishi and Ryoma. “Club room! Club room!”

“Thank you, Ryuzaki-sensei,” Oishi said. “We promise to do our best.” The director nodded and walked off.

“Ryoma-sama! You were amazing!” Tomoka shouted, bouncing up and down. Ryoma hopped off the stage and went over to her and Sakuno.

“Thank you guys for making these outfits,” he said. “It… it means a lot.” He stared at his feet.

“Ryoma-kun… you’re welcome,” Sakuno whispered, blushing.

“If you wouldn’t mind… could you make more? For next time?” He swallowed uneasily, not willing to look at either girl.

“Of course! Anything for you, Ryoma-sama!” Tomoka squealed. Sakuno smiled slightly.

“Thanks.” Ryoma turned around and went back to his group. Oishi was talking with Momo and Taka, while Fuji and another boy watched from a distance. All in all, Ryoma deemed the concert a success, and couldn’t wait to see how far they could go. He smirked to himself.

“Mada mada dane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Still" does not have a version with Ryoma, Eiji, and Oishi. I made it up for the purposes of the story line.


End file.
